the.betterleys.com

Thanks to All

A big thanks from James, Kamie, Eveyln and James to my Mom, sister, brother-in-law, and my two nieces for a wonderful visit.

Another big thanks to all who braved the snow storm to meet their newest relatives, and to those who could not make it you were missed, but understood completely that you could not be there.

Merry Christmas to all. Keep safe.
Betterley Family (Wisconsin Edition)

1 comment December 24th, 2007

a tooth! a tooth!

James is sprouting his first tooth-a real one this time. We had thought he was getting one before, but turns out it was just a pearl thingy of somekind. I don’t really remember the name but our peditrican said it was likely that instead since there is no tooth there yet.

This is though. You can clearly tell it is going to be a toother! Poor little guy, no wonder he awoke this morning earlier than normal (just over an hour earlier). We’ll see how long this takes, he’s been showing other signs for a while now, the constant chewing on anything-especially your hands- though I read this could be as a result of nursing less because of having solids and the increase in those also.

We’ve made the move from our living room on the main level of our home, to the family room area in the lower level. The kids are wanting to situp all the time, and there is carpeting and a rug for them to play on downstairs versus the hardwoods in our living room. So it’s been a transition getting things organized and in the ‘right’ place.

Add comment December 23rd, 2007

I *heart* my kids

They are amazing. Evelyn and James bring something new to my day, everyday. They fill it with a love that isn’t like a love of anyone else, even their own love is different. I feel so blessed to have them in my life and to be able to spend so much time with them.

We have arrived home from a trip over the border to Canada. We visited with James’s Mom Susie who we haven’t seen since the kids were 2 weeks old. Also his sister Wendy, brother-in-law Doug and neice Miranda who we haven’t seen since August of 05 which we only saw breifly in Louisiana during a funeral before that it’d been Christmas in 04 and our neice Abby whom we hadn’t met yet.

We left our house on Friday around 6:45pm. James had tried to sleep but was unable and it seemed there wasn’t much point in waiting another hour till the kids would normally goto bed so we left, crossing our fingers and thinking the kids would sleep straight thru. They DID! Yippee. I drove for a while while James slept to give him a break later in the drive, so he didn’t do it all.

After an easy but long drive, a tish stressful around Chicago where I was convinced a semi was out to kill us we arrived in London around 6am? I think… maybe 5? I lost track of time. James woke up when we went in, and Evelyn soon followed, after a little bit of talking with Wendy & Doug we went up to bed. They weren’t too interseted in going back to sleep, but after about an hour they both did.

We hung out at home all Saturday and opened Christmas gifts. Sunday was planned for a get together with as many Betterley’s that could make it. As luck would, or would not have it a HUGE snowstorm hit London between the overnight and that day it was just insane.

I haven’t a clue how much actually fell but the roads were bad. I think it might be since our town is about 300,000 fewer people than London we are used to them being cleared quicker and the snow just kept on a falling also. We arrived safely and had a really nice time! The kids were just gobbled up and did really, really well with all the attention. They even both took their bottles without too much fuss.

Our way home from the party we almost got into an accident on account of someone driving a pickup with a plow attached going past us thru the Right hand turn lane, straight instead of turning and I think he hit the snowbank and ended up spinning horizontally directly in front of us. Then he proceeded to backup whilst we were inches from his vehicle. I saw him fishtail and hit into snowbanks 3 more times ahead of us. CRAZY! The next day James saw in the paper that 2 mothers were killed the previous day-unsure if it was because of drivers, let alone the one we ran into.

The rest of the trip was just good company and time spent together. But the time came when we had to return as James was due back at work. We left their house around 6pm and headed for home.  James drove and drove and drove, finally he said he needed a break. I took over, but I don’t think I lasted 20 minutes before I felt like I needed a break also-we were both very tired.  We ended up getting a hotel room which we checked into at 1am and out of at 5am. But it was enough rest that we were able to get the rest of the way home. The kids woke up while we brought them in though and were not interested in sleep at that point and it was another hour to hour and a half to get them to sleep. They slept when we started driving again almost all the way home. We stopped for gas in Milwaukee (an hour south of our town) and Evelyn awoke. James ended up riding in the back with them whilst I drove and entertained them. About 10 minutes from home she got quite upset and he ended up giving her a bottle.

They really did do awesome. Sleeping whilst there was a bit harder on the kids, but they’ve settled back into their normal day/night pattern now that we are home.

Are hoping to see everyone again next year, but will have to see how things work or don’t work out. Let’s knock on wood that it does. Several of James’ Aunts/Uncles talked of visiting us in the new year though, too. Visitors are always welcome.

We put the kids together in the bath tonight in their safety situp seats for the first time (Evelyn used one whilst we were in Canad). It was TOO much fun. James has learnt how to kick/splash and while they’ve both done it before it’s been  a random, one off type thing. He’s going to town the last few baths.

We are turning a new page, starting a new chapter in the kids lives. You can just see how differently they see things, view things, investigate things and take everything in. James is SO eager to go places. He *really* is going to be trouble when he really starts crawling, though he does a good job already.

Evelyn is laid back, but lately she’s been showing her ’sass’ She’s been a bit pickier about things and moodier.

Both are interested in the other-but rarely at the same time. Especially if one touches the other and it’s not wanted, ha ha ha, it’s quite the event. Evelyn more often dislikes the touches, and James is such a curious guy he’s usually touching her whilst they are sitting near each other. While Evelyn usually touches James whilst nursing and he’s a snuggler and really, really dislikes that she’s at him

I can’t believe that in a matter of 2 days the kids will have their first Christmas. Honestly, where did the last 6 months go? Anyhow- my main reason for posting is….

I just uploaded, earlier today and finished up in the last few minutes 125 photos taken over the last two weeks.

Add comment December 22nd, 2007

6 Month Update

This post is an acumulation of posts I have in draft over the last month, hopefully it’s not too outdated, but I’ve added new conent as a result of the kids 6 month checkup today.

I have to be the luckiest woman on the planet. Everyday, though maybe not apparently obvious, I am thankful. I am thankful for the family I have, the ones lost or gone and having those times to remember or share. I am also thankful for my amazing hsuband who is a wonderful father and truely knows the meaning of putting family first. My laid back, easy-going daugther who rewards me with a smile when I need it most without asking anything in return. My son who amazes me everyday and his smile you can’t help but smile back and make you feel like your the most special person on earth. He is so full of energy-he’s going to give us trouble I can already tell.

I truely can’t imagine our life without them. Sure, they have their moments but even *I* have my own moments.

The kids are loving their excersaucer/bouncy type stationary toys, with wanting to sit or stand all the time they’ve been a blessing to give Mom & Dad a break. Especially now that James has figured out he can bounce. I think I might have something to do with that. It’s cute, I don’t know if it’s a conicidence or not, but twice I had been saying “bounce, bounce, bouncy, bounce” whilst bouncing him up and down on my lap, legs extended and now he’s a bouncing king. I think he’s very eager to move around and does so every chance he gets. He went from the middle of our bed during the ‘photo shoot’ of the kids in the xmas hats, to the one side, and all the way to the other side then.

They’ve both also started doing ’situps’. Mainly whilst nursing but sometimes even while trying to eat their cereals. Evelyn has also started squriming a lot more while being held, like she just wants to go places, but of course can’t. They are trying so hard to get places, Evelyn gets a bit more frustrated with it-maybe because she doesn’t get places like James. James actually made it about a foot the other night-not on his knees but just by pushing with his feet and gradually making his way to me.

They’ve also learnt to blow raspberries complements of Daddy. He did it twice to James and then all of a sudden he started doing it back, a day later Evelyn was doing it too.

James LOVES his feet. I think he might have a foot fetish… haha. I don’t know. He really likes feet, seems fasinated by them. He likes his own, his sisters, Daddy’s. I don’t think he’s seen mine yet, but if he did I’m sure he’d love them too. This week he discovered that they can go into his mouth-must be nice to be that flexable. He holds them up every chance he gets and while changing him one night I had him sitting up and he started to fall over, heard him laughing and laid him down and he immediately took his foot to his mouth. I think he must have laughed because of his mouth found his foot….

I’ve decided that baby socks are useless. They never stay on… ever. Neither James or Evelyn are particularly fond of them either though… so that doesn’t help when they are moving their feet to try to get them off, so you are putting them back on and stretching them over and over. Maybe some shoes are in our future. I fancy the Roobeez type shoes.

I try really hard not to refer to James and Evelyn as ‘the twins’. Because, while they are twins, we feel it’s important to recognize them as individuals first and deserve seperate recognition. I thought I did a pretty good job at this, usually when I meet someone and they ask if they are twins I reply “this is Evelyn and James and yes, they are.” to try to push the focus on them as indivduals first.

It is interesting the attention they pull though. I am not really sure that I really thought about it while pregnant. We get stopped at least 5 times while in the store and asked or there is some comment about them being twins, as some don’t ask. Then there are at least 5 more who make a comment to someone in the store with them “Oh! Look, twins!” or “How lucky, two!”, ect.

Anyhow, I was reading thru a website that is an ongoing study on twins and came across something that I’ve been doing-which I hadn’t really realized. I almost always was saying Evelyn’s name before James’. So since reading it I’ve been trying very hard to mix it up. Even when signing the Christmas card this year, I alternated James, Kamie, Evelyn & James with James, Kamie, James & Evelyn.

We do a good job I think with making sure that they both get equal share in ‘position’. Things like switching their spot in the car, stroller, sling, bouncy chairs, exercise toys, even highchairs, who feeds them, who changes them, ect.

The website made note that something as seemingly simple as that can lead to much bigger issues down the road. So I’ve kept it in the back of my mind and made even more of a concsious effort to refrain from grouping them.

It’s funny how quickly habits are formed, but even more, how hard they are to change later…for exampe; We had a great visit with James’s Uncle Karl & Aunt Shelia, they brought along and updated family tree with James & Evelyn’s birth on it which was really neat to see. Anyhow, we got to talking about the tree and what lil man James will be called, and James said how he hated/hates being called Jamie, especially as a child. Uncle Karl said something as to that OH! I call you that all the time! James said, of course, that was fine-and he’s OK with it, it’s who he is to his family.

On the topic of James, we found out during that visit that the name James goes back further in the family than we knew. James’s great-great-grandfather was also named James. Seems it skipped one generation.

We took Evelyn & James to see Santa on the 1st. They had a kids party thru the Mothers of Multiples Club I belong to. Santa came in and had a gift for each child, there were activites and songs, food, ect. I can’t wait to see James & Evelyn up there dancing or at least trying to, next year.

The 6th James tackled the kids alone for the night. I’ve never not been home to put the kids to bed, and give them one last nursing session. However, I signed up for the committee to plan the Mom’s Holiday Party, back when I was still pregnant with the kids. It really meant a TON to be able to go… even though I had a hard time being away. I think I checked my phone every 2 minutes, I called about 5 times, and text messaged once… James didn’t answer, so I kept thinking the worst that they were crying and screaming and needed me.

In the end, they did cry a little when he put them to bed. More though because they weren’t as sleepy as they are when  they go down after nursing. I was gone from 5:45 til 11pm though it did take me an hour to get home because of the snowy weather I was going 30-35 on a road that normally is 65 mph.

The kids are doing well, they had more shots, which is always fun.

Evelyn’s stats; 16lbs 4oz (55%), 25″ (25%) and 42.0 head circumference (? % the nurse accidently re-wrote 42.0)
James’s stats; 15lbs 9oz (25%), 25 1/2″ (10%) and 42.0 head circumference (10%)

This visit was harder than most for some reason. The second the kids started to be undressed they freaked out both crying and James spitting up twice all over, likely as a result of being so upset.  Evelyn did her horrible cry where she stops breathing.

I think that has to be the hardest part about having the two kids with the same needs at the same time. I mean, I can manage at home without troubles. But when your in a Doctors office and out of your element. You don’t have ‘your’ things/your setup and your trying to calm them both while all you have is a bench covered with paper that seems to scare the kids and two chairs to sit on it overwhelms me. 

At home, I can hold both, but at the office I can’t. I don’t feel safe even trying. I have to leave one of them on the table and then get the other and somehow get them both into my arms, I can’t really explain it but I feel very vulnerable.

Anyhow, I was pretty sure that meant shots weren’t going to go well either then. They do the shots back to back so I knew I would have to leave one in the carseat/stroller and calm the other.

The Doctor part was wonderful. Our Doctor is a twin himself, and he is always so curious about their interactions and development. I suppose it’s different looking on twins than even having been one. James only got a little upset when the Doctor checked his hips, but they both gave him smiles and even a giggle.

OH! James is off his reflux medication now. We had tried to stop it the last time it was due for a refill but James didn’t tollerate it very well. He was fussy and upset and you could tell that it was uncomfortable for him. Well Saturday we gave him the last dose of this refill and tried again. Success! Thus far at least. Doctor wants us to keep him off it unless things get worse but believes that the two days likely was enough time to know if he still needed it or not.

Then came the shots. These usually aren’t fun but actually the shots process wasn’t horrible this time… it was the after the shots that was. They both got very upset when I laid them down to try to put their clothes/snowsuits back on. I am certain they remembered what had just happened there and thought they were getting more? I don’t know. All I know is it took me almost 35 minutes to get out of the room. Between one starting to cry and thusly the other starting (they’ve begun doing this lately, which was to be expected but hard on this lone Momma). But we survived.

Shall ickup some Wagon Wheels (larger Cherrio type treat) to try for them when I am out shopping tomorrow for them to try. And some avacado too.

The kids are slept 2 1/2 hours after their shots. Poor things. We gave them some juice after their dinner, they seemed to enjoy it, needed a little help with the angle of the sippy cups to get anything out of them. They hold them properly and suck on the correct part though.

James is really moving around now, he scoots himself around the floor and is REALLY interested in toys and anything he can get his hands on. He was moving around by doing pushups tonight, it was quite cute & amazing even. Evelyn moves around but hasn’t figured out it quite yet totally.

Both are sitting up really well. Especially tonight we realized how good they do. The both sat for around 15 minutes unsupported - but inbetween our legs just incase there was a topple… but there wasn’t. After the 15 minutes there was some swaying.

I think they are starting to recognize their names too. I have been trying to use it more frequently, as I don’t think we have too often a need to use it so I’ve been trying to find ways to do so. Also am keeping up with the sign language, I’m using only six or seven at the moment and will add a new one when one is learnt.

The kids continue to sleep well thru the night. They eat one last time around 7:30 and are in cribs give or take a few minutes at 8:00pm. Usually I hear James wake up around 7:30am then most mornings. I usually have about 15 minutes before he’s really awake though. Evelyn sometimes is awake also but if she is, she’s less obliging to wait. That girl does know what she wants, and in the morning it’s to eat.

James loves to eat! Man he does. He’s an impatient eater too. Though since thickening the cereal he seems to be doing beter, we’ve also started feeding them their cereals right after nursing instead of giving a 20-30 minute break. Either way he does very well with his cereals/fruits/veggies.

Evelyn has made a great turn around also, doing quite well these days. She’s usually patient.

They both open their mouths for another bite, which is too cute! They average 4 TBSP of cereal and 1 TBSP fruit and 1 TBSP veggie each day.

Think that’s about it for now.

3 comments December 10th, 2007